Julie smiled. ‘Yes. He was the priest at St Mary’s. He used to come to the convent and read stories to the children. He was a lovely man. I shouldn’t say it, but some of us younger sisters fancied him . . . but not in a carnal way, of course,’ she said with a grin.

‘Did Missy like him?’ Jane asked.

Julie laughed. ‘Yes, she used to refer to him as the “forbidden fruit”.’

Jane suddenly found herself thinking of Father Chris and the moment he’d kissed her.

‘Why did you ask about Father Bob?’ Julie asked.

‘Annette Gorman mentioned him, but wasn’t sure about his surname.’

‘It’s Meade.’

Jane didn’t want to press Julie about Meade possibly abusing the children, as it was clear she liked and trusted him, so she changed the subject.

‘There’s a tunnel from the crypt to the outbuildings. Was it in use while you were there?’ Jane asked.

‘Yes. We used it to take food from the bakery and gardens to the main building in bad weather. During the fire, part of it collapsed. Mother Superior had a builder look at it. He said it was dangerous, so we were all banned from using it. As I recall, the tunnel door in the crypt was removed and bricked up.’

‘Do you know who the builder was?’

‘No, I’m afraid not.’

‘Did any builders ever carry out repair work at the convent while you were there?’ Jane asked.

‘Sometimes, but I didn’t really take any notice. I recall a leaky roof in the chapel being repaired by a couple of men.’

‘Can you describe them?’

Julie shook her head. ‘Like I said, I didn’t really take any notice.’

Boon took a picture of the coffin from a folder and handed it to Julie. ‘Did you ever see this coffin when you were at the convent?’

‘I recall some metal ones like that in the crypt. And there were also a few wooden coffins down there.’

‘Would a nun be buried in a metal coffin?’ Boon asked.

‘No, the wooden ones were for us.’

Jane stood up. ‘That’s all we need to ask you for now, Julie. I’m sorry our conversation has been so upsetting for you. What you’ve told us has been incredibly useful to our investigation. DC Boon will compile an official statement at the station from his notes. Would you be happy to sign it and give evidence in court if required?’

‘Of course. I’ll do whatever you need if it helps catch whoever killed Missy.’

Boon tentatively raised his hand. ‘Can I ask you a personal question, Mrs Dorton?’

‘Of course.’

Jane gave him a sideways glance as a warning he’d better not upset her.

‘What made you leave the sisterhood?’